Ann. Pak. Inst. Med. Sci. 2012; 8(2): 122-124                                          

Objective: To determine the utility of Lumber Puncture in the diagnosis of bacterial Meningitis among Children with Febrile Seizures and without clinical signs of meningitis
Study Design: Cross sectional Study
Place and Duration: The study was done in the Children Hospital PIMS Islamabad from February 2009 to August 2009.
Materials and Methods: Children between 6 months and 5 years of age who were admitted with seizures associated with fever and without sings of meningitis were included in the study. Lumber puncture were done by a doctor after the written consistent from parents. CSF was sent to the pathology laboratory for routine examination, biochemistry and culture. All findings were enrolled in individual performa.
Results: A total of 125 cases were enrolled in the study. Majority of patients 78 (62.4 %) were male. The mean age of patients was 31 months. The results of CSF microscopy showed that 6(4.8%) had abnormal number of leukocytes counts, while 119(95.2%) had normal number of leukocytes counts. Out of 125 study patients ,15(12%) had abnormal level of protein in CSF while 110(88%) had normal level of protein. Similarly 26(20.8%) of the study patients had abnormal glucose level in the CSF while 99 (79.2%) has normal glucose level. In the current study the yield of CSF culture and groom staining was only in 4(3.2%) patients. As per study objectives pyogenic meningitis was diagnosed up in 6 patients which was 4.8% of the study patients. Out of these patients 5(4.1%) were upto 1 year of age while 1 (0.8%) was 1 year of age.
Conclusion: A Significant number of children presenting with fever and seizures do have meningitis. Children under one year of age constitute a special risk group and in this group LP should be performed in every case of febrile seizures, so that not even a single case of bacterial meningitis can be missed.
Keywords: Children, Febrile seizures, Lumber puncture, Meningitis.